Hero of My Heart

by Megan Frampton

In this emotional and powerfully erotic tale of love and redemption, a tender vicar's daughter and a tortured war hero discover that sin may be their only salvation.

When Mary Smith's corrupt, debt-ridden brother drags her to a seedy pub to sell her virtue to the highest bidder, Alasdair Thornham leaps to the rescue. Of course the marquess is far from perfect husband material. Although he is exceedingly handsome, with a perfect, strong body, chiseled jaw, and piercing green eyes, Alasdair is also too fond of opium, preferring delirium to reality. Still, he has come to Mary's aid, and now she intends to return the favor. She will show him that he is not evil, just troubled.

Mary was a damsel in need of a hero, but Alasdair's plan is shortsighted. He never foresaw her desire to save him from himself. Alasdair is quite at home in his private torment, until this angel proves that a heart still beats in his broken soul. The devil may have kept her from hell, but will Mary's good intentions lead them back to the brink—or to heaven in each other's arms?

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Historical Fiction, Marriage Of Convenience, Regency, Audiobook

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2013

About the author

Megan Frampton's love affair with books began when her parents moved her to a remote town in New Hampshire where there was only one television station. And then the TV broke. She devoured every book of fiction in her well-read parents' library, finding special joy in Georgette Heyer and the fairy tales collected and translated by Andrew Lang. Megan majored in English literature at Barnard College and worked in the music industry for fifteen years. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband (her former intern) and her kid.

Reviews

[Ivy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off as a 4 star story, worked its way down to a 3 star by the 70% marker, fell down to a 2 star low around the 90% point but managed to redeem itself back up to 3. I was so excited to start this novel because the blurb fascinated me. I love romances where the H plays a gallant knight in shining armor to the damsel heroine and this novel was definitely crafted along that theme. The heroine Mary is the daughter of a poor vicar who has just died and her evil stepbrother Matthias has decided to auction her virginity in the local pub. The H Alasdair ( the Marquess of Datchworth ) saves Mary by outbidding the unwashed lechers who had gathered for the auction. Alasdair is a former soldier and second son who ascended to the title after his older brother died. He's a very tormented H who is also addicted to opium. Alasdair's a H who is plagued with self hate and all he wants to do is die. He thinks that if he marries Mary, then he will be able to provide for her; it will be his last generous act before he can overdose on opium and commit suicide. I admit that I was thoroughly enjoying the first third of this story.

There was quite a bit of drama and intrigue in the first part because Mary's stepbrother Matthias kept turning up to try and abduct her and there was also Alasdair's greedy cousin Hugh who was plotting to use the H's opium addiction to declare him insane. Hugh wanted to place the H in Bedlam hospital ( where he would probably meet with a very convenient death ) so that he would inherit the title and the wealth. The MC's spent the first 60% of the story running away from the 2 villains, rushing off to Gretna Green to get married and having lots of sex. Alasdair's addiction was handled in a very strange manner because he didn't seem to spend too much time suffering from withdrawal symptoms. It seemed as if his symptoms lasted for just a few days. I thought withdrawal symptoms would have lasted far longer, especially since he wasn't being weaned off the drug slowly. Everybody knows that the cold turkey method of dealing with addiction can be the most torturous, life threatening and lengthy for addicts. I was also surprised that the H was able to engage in sexual activity so often even while he was experiencing severe withdrawal pains, tremors, heavy sweating etc. The middle of the novel seemed to be focused a bit too much on just sex and the MC's kept having sex even while they were on the run ( and after Mary had been shot too ) and weren't able to bathe. I think they only had a bath once ( in a river ! ) while they were on the run. But, in spite of my fastidious judgemental notions, I did enjoy how their relationship was progressing.





My first problem with the storyline was when Mary's stepbrother Matthias suddenly turned up dead ! Don't get me wrong: I loved the fact that his dead body was discovered because he was truly evil and he deserved it. However, I found it a bit too convenient and I wished the author had crafted another plot twist to get rid of him. It just seemed far too anti-climactic plus it happened too early in the story. That left the MC's with just one scheming villain lurking in the shadows - cousin Hugh:



Then things started to look up for the MC's when they arrived in London and the heroine got a fancy new makeover. They seemed happy and I honestly thought Alasdair was contented. My second and third big issues were linked to the way the author dealt with Hugh and with the heroine's mother. Hugh was this vicious man who wanted to kill Alasdair, yet the author expected me to believe that this villain would be neutralized after he accepts a small annual pension and a farm from the H ! That made NO sense to me; Hugh wanted the title, all the Dashworth estates and all the money. Why did the author expect me to believe that he would give up all his evil megalomaniac dreams and just settle for a small yearly sum of money and life on a little farm ? That was a big disappointment and I really had to stop and ponder about it for a short while:



My final issue with this novel was with Alasdair's apathetic decision to live a separate life from Mary. Why ? Because he thinks that she's too good for him. He just leaves her and then it's Mary who goes to look for him. That's the part that made me reduce the rating. Mary had been the strong one throughout the entire novel and I really wanted Alasdair to stop feeling sorry for himself and act like a man. I also reduced the rating because I felt that the author wrapped up the final 25% of the story in a very hasty manner. It's not right that a novel should begin on such a high note and just deteriorate in the final few essential chapters. An epilogue would've saved it because I would've seen if Hugh had really been content to live on the small farm and not cause trouble for the MC's. And, it would've been even greater to have some confirmation that Alasdair had really kicked the opium habit in the long term.

[Mary - Buried Under Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful read of redemption, love, and exciting action, both in and out of the bedroom. The driving force of Hero of My Heart is the struggle both characters feel within themselves and each other.

When Alasdair Thornham, Marquess of Datchworth, sees a drugged woman being sold in a tavern, his chivalrous nature sprung out amidst his half-awake state. He bought Mary, but acted like a guardian. And once he learns Mary is a proper miss, he does the honorable and marries to save her reputation. Mary, on the other hand, quickly finds herself without another option, and choose to take the "devil" up on this bargain, embarking the two of them on a grand journey of adventure and love.

What really sold me to the story was Alasdair's honor and integrity that one would not have expected from a lord and someone addicted to opium. His intentions and actions towards Mary are very honorable, and he tries to save her from himself. Knowing his own depraved state but lacking the ability to change, Alasdair draws sympathy from the readers and from Mary. Mary initially distrusted this lord, who had willingly agreed to marry her (that is so uncommon a behavior, and says wonderful things about Alasdair) and repeatedly taken up the knight in shining armor role. Despite this, she recognizes the tortured soul in Alasdair, and stays with him to help him, stop his addiction and to love himself.

At face value, both characters seem to be preoccupied with their own agendas. Mary with getting to London - without Alasdair - and Alasdair with saving Mary as a way to redeem his soul. Deep down, Mary needed Alasdair's support and protection, and he needed Mary's healing nature.

My only problem with this is how the opium addiction seemed to have just vanished, which doesn't seem very true. Though, all in all, this was a great read of two very flawed characters finding love in each other, with the suspense aspect taken care of nicely, leaving the final touch to the characters. I will definitely be on the lookout for Megan Frampton's next historical.

*I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

[Antonella · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was an okay read!
definitely needs a lot of suspended disbelief regarding the characterization
hero is an opiate addict and goes through withdrawals during their first time they spend together, later on, is kind of implied that she "cures" him from addiction
2,5 ⭐

[Chryssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the beginning, there was......

Love, for the description and book cover!
Hope, that this would be an awesome choice!
Faith, you can never lose with reading a historical romance book!

In the middle, it developed to.....


And in the end.....


In short: I find this book to be a desperate attempt to include a little bit of everything that is trendy nowadays! With a little bit of emotion mixing with the hero's turmoil and self-pity (boohoo, I am to blame for everything!! ~> rolleyes 1st), adding a touch of bdsm (yeah right!!! ~> rolleyes 2nd), lust and sex (and crude sex vocabulary! when least expected and needed ~> rolleyes 3rd) and a pinch of "I can't decide if this is romance or erotica" ( ~> rolleyes 4th) on the part of the author, this book had me on the verge of sedatives!

They say hope dies last! Mine died after a few chapters, as it failed to convince me about a love story that had me rolling my eyes every few pages (exorcist wanted!!).
I NEVER condemn books, as I believe in the authors' effort to write them! But I JUST COULDN'T NOT REACT TO THIS! Reading time is so precious....

ADVICE: This is only my personal opinion and reaction to this book! Should you want to read it, don't let me stop you! But don't say you weren't warned....

[Lady Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very nice plot poorly executed. I won't rehash the plot; the blurb sets things up. And I know this is HR and we suspend disbelief, but this author tested my powers of suspension. Alasdair is an opium addict, as a result of his war wounds and (apparently) an unscrupulous doctor in cahoots with Alasdair's cousin. He rescues Mary, and she wants to help rescue him. I'm no expert, but Alasdair's recovery from addiction seems astonishingly fast and fairly pain-free. After a couple of feverish days and one relapse, he seems fine. And while he's recovering, he and Mary are on the run cross-country with no money. And so, a potentially touching story is glossed over.

And here's a little thing that irritated me. Mary has no clothes other than what she's wearing when he brother puts her up for auction. Then, suddenly she has another dress. But later, when she and Alasdair arrive in London after marrying in Scotland, she has an entire fabulous wardrobe, because Alasdair has written ahead and ordered one. None of these dresses seems to need alteration, and the elegant slippers all fit. And Mary, a village vicar's daughter, has no problem navigating the ins and outs of ton etiquette.

In other words, everything -- from the serious to the frivolous -- happens too easily. The only thing that kept this from being a two-star for me was Alasdair's humor, integrity, and honor.

[Caz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've given this a C+ at AAR, so I reckon that's 3.5 stars

Hero of My Heart began very promisingly indeed. I liked the set-up, the hero was immediately established as broken yet honorable with an air of instability about him, and the story proceeded to develop strongly and at a good pace. It wasn’t long before the hero was revealed to be not all he seemed to be, and the dynamic between him and the heroine was subject to frequent shifts which served to heighten my interest and keep me on my toes when reading.

Unfortunately, those things weren’t sustained throughout the novel, and around the halfway mark the pace began to slacken. I often found myself wondering if the hero and heroine were ever going to stop having sex long enough for them to attend to other matters.

The story opens with Alasdair Thornham, Lord Datchworth, being rather the worse for drink in a tavern where there is about to be an auction. It’s no ordinary auction however, as the “lot” is a young woman, a virgin, who has been put up for sale by her unscrupulous half-brother who is desperate for money. He may be drunk, but Alasdair is not completely incapacitated, and so he outbids everyone else, wins the young lady – Mary Smith – and carts her off upstairs so she can sleep off whatever she was given to ensure her docility during the auction and he can sleep off the effects of the drink.

Having ascertained she is a respectable vicar’s daughter, Alasdair insists they get married. She’s spent the night in his room and is therefore irretrievably compromised and if they do not marry, her reputation will be in tatters. Reluctantly, Mary agrees to this, and the two get ready to head off to Gretna Green, but not before Mary’s half-brother arrives to try – unsuccessfully — to force her to return home with him. Alasdair arrives in time to prevent her being carried off, and they make for Scotland. The trip doesn’t go smoothly, but they arrive in one piece, only to be confronted by Alasdair’s cousin, Hugh, and a mysterious doctor.

All through these first few chapters there are hints that something is not quite right with Alasdair. He’s prone to mood swings and sudden attacks of acute pain and feverishness which the reader — although not Mary – quickly discerns are symptoms of withdrawal.

A veteran of Salamanca who lost his elder brother on the battlefield and whose remaining family is also dead, Alasdair is addicted to opium. At first, he took it for pain relief after having been seriously wounded, but has continued to take it as a way of dulling his pain and feelings of survivor’s guilt. In his addled state, he has decided to perform one last service – to save Mary, marry her, leave her all his money and estates – and then surrender to his addiction until it kills him.

Mary does not learn of Alasdair’s condition until later, when he tells her of his cousin’s plan to supply his addiction, discredit him in the eyes of society, have him put away, and then inherit his property and title.

Having disposed – temporarily – of Hugh and the doctor, the couple are married – and agree not to consummate the union, although I don’t quite know why, because they’re so hot for each other, it’s going to be impossible. Needless to say, the agreement was short lived, because Mary decides she wants a wedding night after all and it doesn’t take much for her to get her own way.

The rest of the story concerns their journey from Scotland to London to locate Mary’s mother, whom she had previously believed dead. She also believed herself to be illegitimate, but discovers that isn’t the case and that her mother is alive and well and now happily married to Lord Stainton and living in tonnish circles in London.

I thought the idea of the addicted hero who needed saving from himself was a good one. The writing was generally good and the hero and heroine were engaging characters. But as the story progressed, I began to notice holes in the storytelling which prevented me from enjoying the novel as much as I might otherwise have done.

Alasdair’s addiction is presented fairly realistically at first, I thought. I have no knowledge of how opium pills work, but he seemed to function almost normally once the drug had taken effect and the initial effects worn off, and his withdrawal symptoms seemed fairly accurate. He tries to hide his dependency, he lies, he breaks promises. Later, his lapse, his self-hatred, and belief in his worthlessness were all well written and had a real emotional impact. Mary finds out what he’s done and leaves him, and Alasdair suddenly realizes he can’t do without her. When he catches up with her, he promises once again to fight his addiction and – suddenly, he’s clean. No more stomach cramps or sweats; no more attempts to sneak off to find a supply of opium or even to buy some laudanum (in which opium is an ingredient) as a way to take the edge off.

Mention is made of the fact that Alasdair has merely swapped one addiction (opium) for another (Mary). He believes that she is “saving” him by being with him and believing in him, but I doubt that chemical dependency can be replaced by the power of luurve.

Something else that had me scratching my head was the fact that they agreed to have a sexless relationship and within no time at all were at it like bunnies. In fact, I felt as though the second half of the book had been padded out with sex scenes because there were so many of them. I have no objection to the characters getting it on, but it felt as though the sex was there just for the sake of it and I found myself glossing over the sex scenes to get to the next part of the story. But what, I wondered, had been the point of the agreement in the first place? They were married – and given Alasdair’s initial plan to get Mary settled and then spend his remaining days off his face on opium – clearly intended to remain married. Even after they’ve consummated their marriage several times, they continue to talk about and try to act upon the “no sex” rule and fail miserably each time.

And on the subject of sex – Mary is a vicar’s daughter and a virgin, who is surprisingly forward about asking for what she wants in bed and who makes the transition from vicarage virgin to sexy siren in an astonishingly short time. The book is set at a time when young women were kept in virtual ignorance of what went on in the bedroom and not only that, were brought up to think it shameful and not something women were supposed to want. I can certainly believe that a sexual awakening by a generous lover would disprove those pronouncements, but to be able to overcome a lifetime of conditioning almost immediately stretched my credulity too far.

Mary spends most of the book convinced that Alasdair doesn’t really care for her all that much and is merely using her body to satisfy his desires, a belief he reinforces when he admits to her that he needs her because she’s able to help keep his pain at bay. And when he finally decides that he loves her too much to ruin her life and that he needs to set her free (although there is no mention made of divorce) his method of pushing her away is drastic and cruel, when a simple conversation would have set all to rights.

It’s a shame, but this book didn’t live up to expectations. I realize it’s a romance and that therefore an HEA is expected, but it comes at the expense of believability in the ways I’ve suggested above. Despite his failings, Alasdair was a very attractive hero. When not under the influence, he was decisive, witty, and kind, and I liked the idea that the hero and heroine were saving each other. But it quickly became clear that the saving was heavily one-sided, with Mary acting as a kind of talisman for Alasdair as he overcame his addiction. The ending, with Alasdair visiting opium dens to rescue addicted soldiers and their families felt rushed and a bit far-fetched as was the way in which Mary simply turned up at one of them and told him she’d worked out why he’d pushed her away.

The writing was generally good, and there was some nice banter between the hero and heroine, but as a whole, I felt the story was unbalanced and that the pacing in the second half was poor.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary Smith is tossed up on the auction block by her debt-ridden step brother and sold to the highest bidder, Alasdair Thornham who really has no idea why he bought her, only he felt the need to rescue her. Somehow through his opium induced haze, he recognizes that Mary needs to be taken care of and he seems to be the perfect man for the job. He will simple marry her and then she will have access to his home and funds and he can go off and let the opium to its job, rid him of all his painful family and war memories. What he doesn't expect is a fierceness in Mary to save Alasdair from his drug haze. Mary is determined to set Alasdair free and help his realize the past can not be changed and everything was not his fault, not his burden to bear now. Mary's step brother and Alasdair cousin, who wants Alasdair's title, force this couple to hide and take a trip across the countryside. Close quarters allow for Mary and Alasdair's feelings to develop but what will happen once they reach London? Will Mary be able to tell Alasdair her real desire to get to London, a secret she is sure will shame him?

While I did enjoy this romance, I also felt a bit let down. I felt like some things were just glossed over, most specifically with Alasdair's opium addiction. He struggles and fails early on but once they are forced into the countryside with no money or transportation, his struggles fall to the wayside and he has no side affects and I felt like there needed to be more of a struggle with that aspect. I also would have liked to have seen more of Mary's secret explored and expanded upon as it was something a bit fresh in this genre. Even with Alasdair's struggles, both inner and outer he is a very swoon worthy hero; smart, handsome, generous and witty and I really enjoyed him. Mary is strong, brave and not afraid to voice her opinions yet hesitant to trust a man who easily breaks his promises and is dependent on something that alters him. Another thing that was a bit off for me was the trek through the countryside...they had a few bumps and then they were easily to London. I feel like the ending could have been much stronger and really been a better fit for this story as it had good potential, but it just fell a bit short for me this time. However, I do plan on checking out the future releases of Megan Frampton as I feel like she has a good voice that will hopefully connect together a bit better for me over time. Recommended for fans of unique story lines with personal struggles and a happily ever after that will make you smile. 3 1/2 stars

eARC provided by Loveswept via netgalley.com...thanks!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hero of My Heart by Megan Frampton is a Kensington Love Swept publication, released in April 2013.

Mary, a vicar's daughter, finds herself at her half brother's mercy after her father passes away. She finds her virginity being auctioned off. When Alasdair Thornham, the Marquess of Datchworth stumbles into the establishment and sees the dullness in Mary's eyes, he immediately recognizes that look. The poor girl had been drugged to keep her under control. Warring with his conscience and his wallet, he steps up and rescues the damsel in distress.
Not really one for making plans, Alasdair does plan to marry Mary and see that her reputation remains in tact, then he intends to give himself over to his drug addiction, not caring what happens to him.

However, he and Mary embark on quite an adventure. She must continue to avoid her brother, then Alasdair's cousin, with his dastardly plans. Mary also wants to meet the mother she never knew. Mary never expected to find herself dealing with a man with an opium addiction. Alasdair has lost his entire family and went through the horrors of war where he sustained an injury.
Mary discovers dark family secrets about her brother and her parents. Together they work to get to London and establish Mary in her role as Aladair's wife and hopefully to let Mary meet her mother. In the process they fall in love. Each one of them loves and needs the other , but is terrified of trusting too much in the other one. What if something happens to Mary like all the other people Alasdair has loved? What if Alasdair can't keep his opium addiction at bay?

I would really like to give this one a 3.5 rating. I went back and forth between the three and four stars. The deciding factor was that ever present pet peeve of mine about using language that no "lady " of this time frame would use. In this instance we were talking about the vicar's daughter. The F-bomb- really? I didn't have a problem with Mary's sexual awakening and not being shy about expressing her physical needs to Alasdair. The other factor was that the ending seemed a bit rushed.
Other than that, I like the flawed hero, and the strong woman that brings him back from the brink. I'm a sucker for that stuff. As the title suggest, Alasdair was a hero for Mary too. A nice, and saucy, historical romance. I will give this one a C+/B-. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the DRC of this book.

[Kathie (katmom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Available now!

Hero of My Heart starts with Mary on the auction block. She's been drugged by her half brother who is now selling her virtue to the highest bidder. Fortunately for Mary, that happens to be Alasdair Thornham, Marquess of Datchworth. He's got issues, but he's an honorable man and when he realizes that Mary is drugged, he buys her. Later he realizes that she's a good woman, the daughter of a vicar and she doesn't deserve what's happening to her.

Alasdair has his own issues. He's addicted to opium and feels that his life is not worth living. He's done some things in his past that he tortures himself with. I felt those things weren't really his fault, but he felt he was guilty.

Both of these hurt individuals have agendas and issues. Watching them work together to overcome them and to get to where they need to be was enjoyable a lot of the time. Their journey to London was fun as they get to know each other.

I did think that Mary's brother needed to suffer just a bit more, but that might be my own bloodthirsty thoughts coming to the fore. Also, Alasdair and his opium addiction. He had withdrawal issues, then he'd be over them, then suddenly, through sheer will power, it was over. That really didn't seem quite right. Some of the other plot issues were dealt with like magic, easily wiped away like they had never been. His cousin, for example, was dealt with easily. One of my least favorite tropes comes into play. It's where one person lets the other go "for their own good." I would rather they talked it out, like grownups.

The writing here, and the premise, was nicely done and I will be reading more by Ms. Frampton. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House - Loveswept, for the opportunity to read Hero of My Heart.

[Sara Reads (mostly) Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this, would recommend if you're looking for an emotional romance. The only complaint is there was no epilogue, and that pisses me off because the book felt very very incomplete at the end

[May Mostly Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book though Valentine's campaign via NetGalley.

I request this title immediately after I saw the blurb described the hero as "opium addicted". I love dark and tortured hero. However, writing about addition was not easy to accomplish and this book felled into the between good and really good book.

The opening of the story concerned a little bit. Mary Smith, our heroine was auctioned off in the tavern by her half brother and our hero came to the rescue by buying her. And of course even Alasdair was an opium addicted and saw nothing in his future (actually he prepared to die), he still was a gentleman enough to protect her. What was the better way to protect a damsel in distress than a marriage. So both of them traveled to Scotland to get married, along the way tried to avoid trouble from his and her family.

At first I thought Mary would be the heroine who let the fate took her since she allowed her brother to auction her virginity. Good thing it was not the case but that also leaded me to another question. If Mary was what she was for the rest of the story (strong, capable, and can take care of herself) why she let the situation to that point. She should know better and could avoid the whole thing. But that was the moot point since she needed to be sold in order to bring Alasdair into her life.

Apart from that point, I really like the characters and I like the interaction between the hero and heroine. The journey to and from Scotland created several opportunity for them to be more intimate and those were really nice scenes.

However, I still thought the character of Alasdair was not as dark as I wished him to be. He was an addicted and suffered some past traumatic but the way he was healed seemed too easy. I wished story to be more dark, more angst, more emotion. Some of the conflict in the story was introduced but solved too easy. The issue of his cousin tried to have Alasdair committed had a lot of potential but everything was just gone away with the blink of an eye.

Saying that this is a great debut from the new author. I saw a lot of good point in Ms. Flampton's writing. I like her characters and the love story they represented.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero of My Heart was a GREAT historical romance with two flawed, but sweet, characters. When the novel opens Mary Smith has been drugged and put up for auction by her disreputable half-brother. Alasdair Thornham, war-hero and Marquess, happens to be drowning his sorrows at the tavern where the auction is taking place. He manages to drag himself out of his opium-induced stupor and decides that he is going to rescue Mary to atone for his sins.

After his less than heroic rescue, Alasdair and Mary head for Gretna to marry, but are chased by the dastardly half-brother, and Alasdair’s jealous cousin who wants to have Alasdair declared insane to inherit. This on-the-road romance is complicated by the fact that Alasdair has to fight his drug addiction when he runs out of opium. Mary has to be the strong one and ends up rescuing him a time or two.

What I liked about the novel was that both Mary and Alasdair needed each other. It was so obvious that Alasdair was a flawed character, but he was redeemed because he had to at least try and help Mary. He may have been an addict, but he still retained his charm and honor by his attempts to take care of Mary. Because of the addiction, Mary ended up taking care of Alasdair more often than not and she realized how much Alasdair relied on her to keep him grounded when he was coming down from his drug high. What I liked about Mary was that she wanted more than to be needed by Alasdair; she recognized that she deserved to be more than a replacement to a drug and she fought to get it.

Alasdair and Mary are a great couple, and while I’m not really convinced that someone could overcome their addiction quite that quickly, I loved how their relationship progressed to the pair of them becoming equal partners. I started this book with a lot of trepidation, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the hero being an addict, but by the end I was sold and I will definitely be looking out for more by this author.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two people are in need of salvation, one from the hands of her rotten half brother, one from a life of drug addiction and self-loathing. Put these two together and you have a delightful tale of adventure, redemption and love with a splash of attitude and spice! In other words, a great escape into another time and place that is easy to read and get lost in!

Told from different POVs, the story becomes even more likeable! There didn't seem to be a need to stick to 'words of the day'-for some, this is a negative, for me, it kept things a little lighter!

Mary Smith is a deceased vicar's young daughter, being auctioned off into slavery/prostitution by her half-brother, who has gambling debts to pay.

Alasdair Thornham has a laundry list of problems, including opium addiction that are leading him to self-destruction and risk his title and fortune at the hands of his dastardly cousin. In his drunken haze, his conscience suddenly roars to life and he 'buys' Mary to save her from her fate. He offers to accompany her to London where she is seeking the mother she never knew and hopefully start a new life.

Their adventures on the road (and in a bed) to London are a huge part of the story, including their less than romantic marriage, all in the name of propriety! Their interaction is prickly at times, both having the ability to get under the other's skin!

The question is, what happens after they get to London? Will Mary find her mother? What if she does? What about their 'marriage'?????

This wasn't a totally accurate 'period' romance, but it WAS a fun read that was easy to enjoy!

This ARC copy of Hero of My Heart was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept in exchange for an honest review. Publication date: April 8, 2013.

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. When I first started reading it, I was afraid it was going to be a dark book because it started out with the hero being addicted to opium and the heroine being hauled up onto a table in a tavern/inn and being sold to the highest bidder. I just don't like dark books, so I almost didn't continue. However -- the dark didn't last beyond the first chapter or so and then it turned into a lovely story of suspense, redemption and love.

This book does employ one of those ploys that irritate me, but I always get past them. When the hero gives up the heroine -- after they are married, etc. -- because he isn't good enough for her or doesn't deserve her or whatever other ridiculous reason he comes up with. These are supposedly intelligent people, so do they not realize that they are already inextricably bound together because they can't divorce. That is sentencing her to a life without children or love, etc. So -- I'd like to know how that is better for her. (same thing goes when the heroine gives up the hero)

Another thing that wasn't explained and I didn't care for was the heroine's mother -- how did she come to leave the father AND her child -- and whyever would she marry again without a divorce. I didn't care for her -- not very maternal.

This was a really good book -- even given the two things I listed above and I just know you'll enjoy it if you read it.

[Tina Peacock (Formerly -Bookcrack) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS Loving this! Almost done and have laughed out loud at the comedic timing and dialogue between the hero and heroine-Alasdair and Mary and can't stop thinking about what a fellow blogger coined as "Darcy dick". Not sure if she meant Alasdair (forgive me if I've misspelled) He so is! In the BEST of ways! LOL

I can't stop picturing either Colin Firth as Darcy (because the dialogue is that fun) and Hugh Jackman in Kate and Leopold (horrible movie but great visual) Yum.

Just the crook of his eyebrow now has me smirking.

Even better-the heroine, Mary Smith, is strong, funny and resourceful despite her circumstances. I am soooo out of my comfort zone reading historical romance, but if they were all as quietly snarky and smexy as this? Yeah, I'll be reading more by Megan and others of this caliber!

Got recommendations? Send 'em my way!

Full review to come at www.bookcrack.com

-Disclosure: Author is the community manager at www.heroesandheartbreakers.com a site I contribute to as a romance blogger/reviewer but with disappointingly low frequency. (UPDATE: hides face in shame at my low productivity not w/the site!) Self purchased at Amazon and not contacted for review.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Book source ~ NetGalley

Mary Smith’s asshat half-brother sells her (and her virginity) in a seamy pub, but lucky for her Alasdair Thornham is there to save her from a nauseating fate. But is the marquess any better than the rabble who would have bought her? Damsel in distress meet wounded hero.

For the most part this is a decent tale of rescuing the damsel who, while not a totally strong heroine, is not simpering either. Mary has an interesting background as does Alasdair, but what could have been a heart-wrenching story turns out to be only so-so. Alasdair’s addiction recovery is totally unbelievable. In fact, it’s absurd. I do like the fact he’s an addict because who likes a perfect hero? But his addiction should have been handled a little more realistically. In addition, the characters do a few really stupid things. I wanted to bang their heads together like the Three Stooges. So frustrating. Finally, there wasn’t a lot of back story on the so-called villains of this piece and they were disposed of a little too easily. All-in-all, not a horribly written historical romance, but one that could have been so much better with a bit of work.

[Lisarenee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes: I read an ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

My Synopsis:

"She's a virgin, gentleman. And She'll be sold to the highest bidder."

Mary Smith had been raised to be a good girl. Her father was a country vicar and she had been a teacher. Upon his deathbed, Mary's father made a startling last confession. He hadn't been married to Mary's mother and she hadn't died in childbirth as he had told her. In fact, she was still alive. With her father gone, it soon became obvious that her half-brother hadn't followed in their father's footsteps. He lost their inheritance on sport and game and soon acquired a substantial amount of debt. That's when he started eyeing his sister in a new light--as a means to gain funds. After beating her into submission he and his partner in crime drugged her and auctioned her and her virginity off to the highest bidder. Luckily, in the pub where the impromptu auction was held was a lost soul who felt as his final act he'd save someone as he couldn't save himself. That someone was Lord Alasdair, Marquess of Datchworth.

My Thoughts:
This was an interesting book. The relationship between Mary and Alasdair started out as a codependent one. Each needed the other, even though Alasdair didn't realize it right away when he purchased her. His plan was to marry her, set her up in his home and then give in to his drug dependency letting it take his life. Mary was to be his final good deed.

Mary was looking for a way to escape her brother and find her mother. When Alasdair proposes the two of them get married, she initially thinks he is joking. When he finally convinces her he's serious, the two attempt to abscond to Scotland for a quick marriage. He'll be her means of accomplishing both her tasks as both he and her mother reside in London. It quickly becomes clear, however, that Matias, Mary's brother, never intended to give Mary away permanently. He'd planned to use her as a revolving means of income. Hiring her out to whoever is willing to pay. Alasdair realizes he needs to keep his wits about him if he ever wishes to get them to the church, or in this case Scotland, before Matias or Hugh, Alasdair's cousin, can stop them. Hugh hopes to inherit Alasdair's land and title sooner rather than later. The possibility of Alasdair taking a wife and having offspring are definitely not part of his plans.

As the two try to dodge and hide from those who would thwart their plans, they slowly get to know one another and realize they make a good team. They quickly find they share a favorite past time and are soon doing it like bunnies whenever and wherever they can. I think this book had one of the highest amount of love scenes in a historical romance that I've ever read. Alasdair gives up his opium addiction for another. Luckily, it appears his new wife shares in his second addiction. But besides all the sex, they find they truly like one another and fall in love. I thought it had a truly sweet ending even though toward the end I wanted to figuratively smack a little sense into both Alasdair and Mary.

Overall, I gave this one 3 out of 5 roses. While I truly liked the story, there were some holes I would have liked to have seen filled regarding Mary's brother. Perhaps a few more details or a little more time spent on his story line. I would have liked to have known what made him the way he was. Was he like that before their father died? Was he acting out against something? I personally would have liked to have known. Also, I would have liked to have known more about Hugh and perhaps had a sneak peek into his and Alasdair's history. Additionally, the opium withdrawal was truly wrong. While you can sometimes substitute one addiction for another and some may say their love for another is their drug and some insist love cures all, I have never heard it being used to combat withdrawal. Heads up ladies, if a guy tells you he needs sex to get over his drug addiction he's a BIG FAT LIAR. lol As this is a work of fiction, however, I didn't hold that against the author. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

[Books&Friends · Rating 1 out of 5]

***Snark Alert**
This a major pet-peeve mine. A 'half-baked" novel.

A hero addicted to opium has been done before but curiously I wanted to see another take by a new author to me.
To make a tortured man into a hero and heroine up to task takes a skilled author. Sadly not here..
I never fully understood Alasdair's pain. Frankly he felt manufactured. The author threw a boat load at us. The war and injuries. The devoted but useless brother and guilt over his death.His wife married him instead of brother while being pregnant with brothers child. then tried to abort child. Add to that her disinterest in marital relations (seriously- his words not mine). Vague references to parents death but nevertheless he had guilt over that too. She told me all of this but I didn't feel it or see it in the character of Alastair. I just wanted yell - what's up with all this guilt!
Yeah and the big thing that bothered me the most was his supposed addiction. I guess all you need is a warm body of a female in your bed, hand petting, and a few days of sweats, to get you over opium addiction.
Mary as a character lacked character... She tossed between the feisty wannabe and the wishy-washy type. Her motives were basic - to get away from her evil half-brother and to find her unknown mother. Why then I ask was she emotionally on the light side, next choice being vacuum. I could never understand why she treated her virginity being sold for brother's gambling debts, and Alasdair taking control of her life as minor occurrences. I could go on. Her emotions and reactions tended to be an inch deep and very disjointed.
The book's pacing was fine until you reached about two thirds the way in and then bang the writer rushed to a jumbled end. Too many dangling bits. We didn't get the story behind Mary's mother and father. The threatening cousin was so easily taken care of?? What about the magistrate and her dead brother? Magistrate was in possession of a bank draft/note with his cousin's name on it. You'd think he would've followed up on it. So many more questions and no answers. I really hate sloppy ends.
This book could've used a heavier hand in the editing process. Heck even a new editor. It's not always grammar that causes a book to fail. Sometimes an author needs to hold continuity, character development, tighter plot points, and suspension of disbelief to a stricter standard.
Look, not all books are award winning or to my liking. I'm okay with that, no big deal. I'm content with reading enjoyment. I only get snarky when a respected publisher and/or writer are not trying. This is what I call a half-baked novel.

My take

[Farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

A wonderful, sweet, HOT romance! Hero of My Heart was a different historical romance that I absolutely adored.

This book is unique among historical romance. And, it definitely managed to pull it off. The idea of an opium addict hero and vicar's daughter heroine is different among the genre and it could have easily gone wrong. But, it not only met my expectations, but greatly exceeded them.

Mary was a perfect heroine. She was so strong and determined and clever. She's definitely been dealing with a difficult life since her father died, but she still managed to get through it. And when she finds out potentially life-changing news, she deals with it with her chin up. I really liked her. I honestly can't say anything bad about her. She was a perfect lead character and I think others will see her that way as well.

Alasdair was just as amazing. He immediately draws sympathy. He blames himself for his brother's death and feels guilty that his family is all dead while only he remains alive and has some PTSD from his war years. He doesn't want to have to think about all that turmoil, so he chooses to escape reality with some opium. A drug addict hero could easily have been done wrong, but Alasdair was portrayed in a way that made his addiction seem very understandable. Despite his issues, he remained a noble and honorable gentleman at heart. Which is why he took it upon himself to be Mary's knight in shining armor. He was sweet, clever, gentlemanly, and-with Mary's help-determined to overcome his addiction. He has some major self-worth issues that made him doubt his worthiness to be with Mary and that made him an even more sympathetic character. I adored him so much.

Mary and Alasdair were a perfect couple. I found it so sweet how Alasdair was trying to be a better man for Mary and how Mary was determined to help him achieve that. They were so sweet together. And there were some sparks between them that were very hot when they caught fire. Definitely a blend of sweet and spicy.

The plot was well done. Fast paced and riveting the entire way through. I was hooked from page one and throughout the entire book. There were some thrills and the emotions were very well conveyed. The ending was absolutely perfect.

Hero of My Heart was a brilliant historical romance! Romance lovers, you NEED to read this book!

*Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Loveswept for a copy!

[Melody May (What I'm Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on What I'm Reading

All right, last night I was able to finished Hero of My Heart by Megan Frampton. I must say I enjoyed this quick read. I shall share what this story entailed and my thoughts.

Poor Mary Smith has been down on her luck. I mean her rotten half-brother decides to sell her virginity to the highest bidder to pay off his debt. The one person who saves her is Alasdair Thornham, Marquess of Datchworth, who is... well just say he isn't really hero material.

As you read the story, you understand why he isn't hero material. However, he sees a greater need to rescue a damsel in distress. Which isn't really in his nature, because he's a selfish bastard. Yet, somehow Mary starts to bring out his good side, which he thought was buried and long gone.

Honestly, I enjoyed this story. I mean the hero was able to overcome his addiction and able look beyond his selfish needs. I really like Mary. Heres why: Sometimes when you have a heroine with a religious background they tend to be bit tedious. However, she wasn't like that and a lot might have to do with the information she received on her fathers deathbed. Information like that starts to question things and what's the purpose of life.

Plus, I really appreciate how the author you use the proverb of "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." I felt that story really showed that, because both hero and heroine were dealing with there on hell. I enjoyed how the author had both characters help each other to get out of there own hell.

Bottom line: I enjoyed this quick read and it had me tearing up at certain parts of the story. Overall, I thought it was done well. So, if you are looking for a quick read with a seriously flawed hero and a heroine in need of rescuing, I would suggest Hero of My Heart.

Copy provided by Random House via NetGalley

[Nakeesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars really

I really liked the idea of these two characters. Vicars daughter in need of rescuing and opium addict Marquis in need of some saving himself. The recovering addict behavior was at times intriguing and page-turning, and at other times conveniently pushed aside for the love arc plotting.

This entire work happened in real time: first from the hero's perspective and then the heroine's. If they were apart for any reason, the author would go back and retell it from the other's POV. It was quite unexpected. And my fear came true -the ending was super rushed.

In revision, writers are often advised to employ a Seek and Destroy Word List. Frampton continually used certain words over and over and over again and I soon began anticipating their arrival. Ignoring this rule caused me to start skimming.

That aside, my biggest issue with this book was the "big misunderstanding." I hate BMs -get it: bowel movements! They so often seem unnecessary and stupid. But they are a staple of this genre that I love so much. Mary and Alasdaire's BM was believable. In the beginning. They were two very damaged characters, but working together they conquered so many of their literal and figurative demons. By 50% of the eBook I thought the BM got cleared up. Frampton even started raising the stakes, which kept me turning the page. But the main characters were still hanging on to the BM. I was befuddled. And then, literally, in the last two lines of the work the finally "got it", reminding me that BMs are often unnecessary and usually stupid!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Smith finds herself in the most precarious situation, her disreputable brother has lost everything after their father has died and now he is offering her and her virginity up to the highest bidder at the local pub.

Lord Alasdair Thornham has been swimming in an endless trip of opium, trying to forget his past. He sees a beautiful young woman in need of rescue and purchases her from a horrible man. Promising her safety, Lord Alasdair comes up with a plan to marry Mary and give her his titles and money so he can disappear to his opium habit...thinking this will save her and let him carry on as he’s been. Little did he know Mary has other plans.

Mary sees a man that is in need of a returned rescuing, wanting to help Alasdair deal with any demons that have caused him to take such a life path.

Both Mary and Alasdair, must face their pasts before they can decide on what the future might hold.

Hero of My Heart is definitely a historical romance with strong erotic entanglements. Although the story might not be completely true to the historical “period’s” , I found it very engaging and an enjoyable read.

This ARC copy of Hero of My Heart was given to me by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication on April 8, 2013.

[Eclectic Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Merry" Mary Smith, the late vicar's daughter, is in a very bad predicament. Her half brother is gambling and drinking her inheritance away and has decided to sell her to the highest bidder who happens to be a devastatingly handsome man who seems to be ill. Little does she know she is in for the adventure of her life. "So much for her prayers".

Alasdair Thornham, Marquess of Datchworth, is in an opium laden state when he sees the man auctioning off a beautiful woman in the local tavern and feels compelled to save the damsel in distress. Little does he know he will have a handful to deal with after coming out of his stupor. "Welcome to hell, Alasdair, he reminded himself".

This is a suspenseful and romantic adventure of two lost souls who are destined to torture and love each other no matter what the outcome. I find Ms. Frampton's style very clean and refreshing and her characters are playful as well serious. The issue of opium addiction with soldiers of war is a new twist and very probable.

Thank you to Ms. Frampton, Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept Series and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

[Allie Bates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author:
Megan Frampton
Publisher:
Random House Publishing Group: Loveswept
Rating:
6/10
Copyright:
2013
ISBN/ASIN:
9780345542021

Review:
In Megan Frampton's Hero of My Heart, we find ourselves in a rustic tavern where Mary Smith's virginity is being auctioned off by her half-brother. The hero who purchases her is a totally wasted Alasdair Thornham, Marquess of Datchworth. Yes our hero is a full time Marquess, and a part-time opium addict. The way he sees it, he can rescue and marry the Vicar's daughter (that's Mary), set her up in London, then go off and kill himself because he's got those secrets that make him anesthetize himself, and he's clinically depressed, and an opium addict to boot. Mary's been drugged, but once she's aware of what's going on, she and Alasdair come to an understanding. They come to a platonic understanding, until they start doing it like bunnies. Seriously, sex on every other page. Mary is anachronistically sexually aggressive having had a crash course taught by her recently married friend. Not that Alasdair objects. Ironically, her aggression flips the 'traditional' model of the purchased virgin. If you don't read historical romance, you might not know that this is a subgenre that always has a rapist with a heart of gold. Don't believe me? Go read Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's original bodice-ripper that started the whole explicit romance craze: Flame and the Flower. Not that Alasdair is a rapist.
This road trip to Scotland and back to London would qualify as a Griswald vacation, given all the problems that come up. There's her brother and his cousin, and his cousin's Opiate-pushing doctor, plus a highwayman, grouchy innkeepers, a disappearing coach driver, and murder and mayhem and blackmail and theft. Everyone has a public persona and a secret agenda. Even the vicar died living a lie. Did I mention sex? THere's also the sex, since opium eater Alasdair decides he's going to replace his addiction to opium with an addiction to Mary.
The book started off with a certain traditional historical romance feel, but something about it loses steam for me. Is it because of character inconsistency or is it something else? I am not certain. The book had issues. I don't think these were big issues, but they exist:holes in the plot, and underdeveloped characters, antagonists who do not present much of a conflict and are easily overcome. I was ready to be emotionally invested in the characters, but they just didn't suck me in. (Biting my tongue against the obvious joke here. Mary Smith, behave yourself.) I do believe the story was a little green, and could have used more development. But if you're a forgiving reader, and like a historical with plenty of explicit, thorough, well-choreographed sex, you will probably give this book a high rating.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Hero of My Heart, Megan Frampton cleverly and subtly anticipates the reader’s reaction to scenes and conversations. We meet our protagonists, Mary, the daughter of a vicar, and her noble rescuer, Alasdair, marquess and addict, at a sell-the-virgin-to-the-highest-bidder auction. Mary is the virgin, her wastrel brother the seller and Alasdair the hero of the hour:

“She fell into Alasdair’s arms. It was not an elegant rescue, the kind where the noble prince gathers the humble milkmaid gently in his arms …”

Mary is intelligent and sturdy while Alasdair, not to put too fine a point on it, is a mess. He welcomes Mary “to hell” and as appreciative as she is of being rescued, she “couldn’t convince herself he had a kind face.” Mary tells him that she plans to seek employment as a governess or even a lady’s maid.

“And if I were to offer you a position?”

Mary swallowed. There was no mistaking what he meant—she wouldn’t insult them both by asking if he had children for her to teach. He reached his hand up and grasped her chin with his fingers. “Perhaps if we are creative we can think of several positions.”

A key to the relationship between Alasdair and Mary is that despite their inequality, they have a similar outlook which often manifests itself in banter. When Alasdair entreats him to lend her money and let her go so, he says, “You are growing tiresome, Miss Smith. I said no.” A glaring Mary throws his statement back in his face, so that he’ll understand that buying someone does not equate to owning them.

“Tiresome is when the squire’s wife has told the same story at every social gathering, and expects you to marvel at her cleverness each time. Tiresome is realizing that your father has misplaced his sermon notes again. Tiresome is not, my lord, when a woman has been bought by a marquess who habituates low places where a woman might be sold.”

He flung his head back to laugh, then winced as it slammed against the wall. “Ouch.” He rubbed his head. “Excellent point.”

Alasdair is being pursued by his evil cousin and more tragically, by mental demons that came home with him from the war. To keep the demons at bay, he uses laudanum, an “addiction [that] had become an all-consuming passion, a need that obviated any other.” Mary realizes that she may be of service to him, in helping him break free.

It will not surprise the fond reader of historical romances that soon Alasdair comes up with a plan—a plan to wed at Gretna Green—so that when he fades to dark, euphemistically (suicide is his goal), Mary will be left the widow of a marquess, a safer position than that of an unmarried woman on the run. It is to Frampton’s credit that the strands of poignant darkness are gracefully lightened by threads of humor and sensuality. As when Mary and Alasdair are held up by a highwayman (of course they are, this is a romp, with many a nod to the conventions of a romance on the run):

“You’re traveling light, or is that with your lightskirt?” he said, glancing sidelong at Mary. Oh wonderful, a witty highwayman. “She looks healthy, even if she ain’t a raving beauty.”

Mary goes along with Alasdair’s plans because she knew “she had no other choice. Hell, or hell.” And that’s one of the reasons that Alasdair is not the only one falling just a little bit in love with Mary—readers will also find her irresistible. As frightened and as worried as she often is, she has compassion for the agonies of Alasdair, unable to sleep as he’s bedeviled by unimaginable memories of war—and she also grasps the joy and the wonder of her close quarters with a devilishly handsome and beguiling aristocrat.

“Were you injured?” she asked, then shook her head in annoyance. “Of course you were, I can see that. How did it happen?”

“Someone shot me,” he said, still gazing into her eyes.

“I’m not surprised,” she said with a smile. She reached her fingers out and touched the gnarled skin; it was ridged with scars, and he flinched when she trailed her fingers down to his nipple.

And then took a deep, satisfied breath as she kept working her way down.
What are you doing? her mind screamed. Feeling pleasure, she yelled back.

Her innate warmth and kindness start to thaw Alasdair’s icy prison. Mary knows “she had to do something for him: make him, if not whole again, at least not as broken.” Alasdair shares with her his gift of not giving “a tinker’s damn about what people thought.” Freedom allows her to embrace her sensuality, both internally and externally. Mary’s vocabulary explodes, thanks to Alasdair’s tutelage. Let’s leave them to their rough and ready marriage in Scotland, when Mary cradles to her heart the liberating knowledge that her groom has entrusted her with his secrets.

Because, even though she had experienced delicious bliss in his arms the night before, this moment, here, now, was where trust—dare she think love?—was built.

Dear lord, she was falling in love with him. Dear lord, she should not be falling in love with him.

“Thank you,” he said, as he finally stopped shaking. He lifted his head and looked at her, tears spiking his dark lashes.

It was humbling to see someone so arrogant, so proud, so confident, in the throes of such emotion.

Rest assured that an arrogant nobleman and a resourceful, intelligent teacher from a small village have many a river to cross before they wed in heart as well as deed but Shakespeare says it best, “Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments.”

Full disclosure: Megan Frampton is the community manager at Heroes and Heartbreakers, where I occasionally write. Here's the link: http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com...

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Frampton had me at ‘private torment’ of a hero! It’s those stories that delve into the psyche of a human beings that I relish the most and this was one gem of a story!

Despite many dark moments our pair goes through, I found that I welcomed lighthearted ones and the author did a wonderful balance between the two.

This story is as much sweet as heartbreaking and I highly recommend it.

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The gist: Mary is a vicar's daughter. Alasdair is a Marquess. When her father died, Mary's brother tried to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. Luckily, Alasdair was in the pub where the auction took place. Alasdair agrees to marry her and they embark on quite the journey.

Well... I'm not real positive how I want to rank this book. I'm wavering between 2 and 3 stars. I was sucked into the story pretty quickly and my attention was held, which is good. The writing wasn't awful, which is basically good. I liked Mary and Alasdair and was championing their happiness. On the other hand, the story seemed to get more and more ridiculous as it went on. A lot of details just didn't make any sense at all and I'm left with an overwhelming sense of 'huh'?

Mary's father was a vicar (a preacher, basically). On his deathbed, he told Mary that her mother did NOT die in childbirth as she had always believed and that she was alive and living in London. Evidently, her mother was a highborn Lady and she had a brief affair with the vicar, resulting in Mary. Then the Lady left the baby and married a highborn man and moved to London. Mary assumes she was born out of wedlock, but then she finds a marriage certificate between her parents. That means her mother is illegally married to her current husband. When Mary meets her mother, however, there are no questions or answers and the whole two husbands bit isn't even discussed. That was irritating. And then her half-brother is an ass, but then he suddenly dies and there's almost not another thought about him. When the brother tries to cause problems for Mary and Alasdair, Alasdair doesn't challenge him to a duel or anything either. He just runs away with Mary. Then there's Alasdair's opium addiction and his cousin who is trying to have him committed to an asylum to take over his title and wealth. The opium addiction was easily overcome (uh... Okay... It's a fictional story so whatever, I guess...). The cousin was easily paid off, even though he had information he could use for some hefty blackmail and then he just quietly disappeared. (Uhhh... Okay...) Then you have Alasdair telling Mary he wants a marriage where they live completely separate lives and she just quietly walks away. (Again... Uhhh... Okay... Not really fitting for her established personality, but it's a fictional story so whatever, I guess...) I can't leave out the fact that his parents, wife, and brother are all dead and all died recently, but his brother is the only one we really have a cause of death for. Well, his wife died in childbirth, but she did something to cause an abortion that killed her too. Or something. There's not a real explanation.

There was a lot of action. These two are constantly being chased. First by her brother, then his cousin, then both of those men team up to chase them together, then her brother turns up dead and both of them are suspects so they're on the run from the magistrate, then they steal a horse and cart and are running from the farmer and other villagers. Mary is shot but after a paragraph her wound is never mentioned again. During all of this, they find plenty of time to stop and have sex all over the countryside. They only have sex in an actual bed, I think, twice.

There is a lot of repetition and dwelling on his opium addiction and his 'weakness' for having the addiction. She dwells a lot on her bloodline compared to his.

They FINALLY arrive in London 80% through the story. They host a ball 3 days after their return to introduce her to Society as his wife. Even though his cousin shows up and makes a scene, the ball is a smashing success and everyone loves and welcomes Mary. (Again... Okay... In the name of fiction...) Mary has a highborn friend from childhood somehow. The friend and her husband are not staying at their London townhouse and Mary hasn't corresponded with her friend in almost a year. Somehow, though, Mary ends up staying at the friend's townhouse when Alasdair tells her (2-3 days after their coming out ball) that she needs to leave his house (for no reason). They do get their happily ever after, though, on the last page. (Yeah, it's a sudden wrap up just like everything else...)

After laying out my grievances, I think I have to go with a rating of 2-2.5 just because of the sheer ridiculousness of the whole story. It wasn't the worst I've read and I did read it in less than a day, but it COULD HAVE been SO MUCH better...

[Claudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Mary Smith’s corrupt, debt-ridden brother drags her to a seedy pub to sell her virtue to the highest bidder, Alasdair Thornham leaps to the rescue. Of course the marquess is far from perfect husband material. Although he is exceedingly handsome, with a perfect, strong body, chiseled jaw, and piercing green eyes, Alasdair is also too fond of opium, preferring delirium to reality. Still, he has come to Mary’s aid, and now she intends to return the favor. She will show him that he is not evil, just troubled.

Mary was a damsel in need of a hero, but Alasdair’s plan is shortsighted. He never foresaw her desire to save him from himself. Alasdair is quite at home in his private torment, until this angel proves that a heart still beats in his broken soul. The devil may have kept her from hell, but will Mary’s good intentions lead them back to the brink—or to heaven in each other’s arms? (from Goodreads)

I had a really hard time grading this book. I liked the premise of it and the first chapters as well. But it went so downhill from there. The author missed so many opportunities in my opinion.

Alasdair rescues Mary, a vicar's daughter, from an auction where her brother sells her for her virginity. Alasdair is an opium addict and wants to save Mary as his "last good deed" and then succumb completely to the drug and eventually die, so he marries her. At first, his addiction was depicted really well. He was miserable without it and was just focused on taking the next pill. But along came Mary and of course, she has the healing touch and she just needs to stroke his hair and he gets all better. Wtf? You don't get cured from such an addiction with a simple stroking of hair! His addiction was all of a sudden not mentioned any more.

There are so many more problems I had with this book. Mary is supposedly a vicar's daughter but knows quite a lot about sex because of "her married friend who told her" *eyeroll*. She goes down on him (on a sidenote: there was rarely a bath mentioned and due to his addiction Alasdair was sweating a lot. ew!) and had absolute knowledge of what she did there. Really? At that time, a vicar's daughter?

Alasdair has to introduce his new wife to society, he is a marquess (or something) after all and you would think growing up sheltered in the country that Mary might not be comfortable with that but she just seems to fit in and society doesn't seem to mind that much either. This whole scenario was never really explained.

I wish I could have given more than two stars but the more I think about it the more I'm astonished that I even finished it.

(A review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.)

[Jen Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one. There were things about it I really, really liked. But there were others that really bothered me. There was definite potential there; it just didn't quite hit the mark across the board.

One of the things I liked best was the set-up... and the hero. (Yes, that's two things; sue me.) The story begins with a drugged out Alisdair witnessing a woman's virginity being put up for auction at a tavern. Even in his condition, he can't let Mary go home with one of the beasts in the bar, so he buys her himself. He decides he is going to save her. He'll get her out of the hellhole where he found her, marry her, then crawl off to overdose somewhere.

You see, Alisdair is an opium addict and has been ever since the death of his brother. Everyone he ever loved is dead and he doesn't have much to live for. Until Mary enters his life. The lovely vicar's daughter enchants him. Quickly, their unorthodox pairing turns into something more. But her horrible half brother is on their trail, trying to steal her back. And Alisdair's greedy cousin is right along with him, hoping to prove Alisdair incompetent --to steal his money.

There's danger --and there's action-- but it takes a backseat to watching Alisdair and Mary fall for one another. Alisdair is a great tortured soul, who is nearing the bottom of the barrel. Mary has nothing; no family, no money, no choices. Yet she manages to soothe his damaged heart. She becomes the substitute for the drugs he has grown so dependent on. Which is where things kind of fall apart.

We're supposed to believe Alisdair is a hard-core junkie, but the ease in which he kicks his addiction is absurd. I kept waiting for the effects: the shakes, the vomiting, the consuming need. But nope. The book had several overly convenient developments and dropped plotlines. Like what happened to Mary's brother. It was pretty significant, but never referenced again. Or what really happened between Mary's parents. A huge element of the story for the heroine, but never really explained.

Which leads me to the worst thing about the book. I never bought into the conflict that drove these two apart. Mary kept thinking about how much she didn't want to leave Alisdair and I never really understood why she felt she had to. We sort of got an explanation for that, but it was lame. As was the reason he pushed her away. It felt completely contrived.

All these issues were a shame because I really liked these characters. I rooted for them. I loved them together; I loved how they healed each other; And the sex was hot. There were just too many other things wrong to overlook here.

Rating: C

*ARC Provided by Random House via NetGalley

[Cerian · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I'd give this 2.5 stars)

When Mary Smith is drugged, and sold off in a seedy pub by her half-brother, it's clear that she needs rescuing. Alasdair Thornham is the only rescuer available, and so he saves her. But Alasdair is hardly in the ideal position to be anyone's saviour as he's addicted to opium and consumed with guilt.

Mary is a vicar's daughter, who imagined a life spent in her village, teaching at the local school. When she's rescued by Alasdair, her life is turned upside down. Before long, she realises that Alasdair needs saving too, perhaps more than she does. I liked Mary, she's pragmatic and determined with a kind heart. She doesn't give up on Alasdair, and tries to help him with his addiction.

Alasdair decided that saving Mary by marrying her can be his final act of goodness before allowing himself to fall into the depths of his personal hell. He's mired in self-loathing and guilt, he's a truly tortured soul which made my heart cry out for him. He can be a bit autocratic and stubborn, but he had good intentions when he aids Mary. Although it's not long before his desire for her, starts to outweigh his need for numbness.

I liked that the characters were so essential to each other, they both needed help in different ways and saved each other. I also liked the plot's premise, but I thought it was rather poorly executed.
There were so many inconsistencies, Alasdair's recovery from addicition was unrealistic. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure after a day or two he'd still be suffering in agony from withdrawal. On numerous occasions the style and dialogue would also start to feel much too modern.

Another issue for me was that there was so much going on, and several times plot points were very conveniently wrapped up. The resolution with Alasdair's cousin at the end was over very quickly and neatly, it was disappointing after all the build up.

The characters saved this story for me. I enjoyed their sparring and chemistry. I thought Alasdair was particularly well written and was the perfect tortured hero waiting for the right woman to save him!
Overall the book was fairly enjoyable, but by the end I was just waiting for it to finish.

I received a review copy from Random House, via NetGalley.

*Originally published at Rookie Romance